Hell of a first date
by Mistyeye
Summary: Daryl regrets going to the rescue of a young woman in danger. His day is about to get really bad. Set during the second half of season 3, when Merle is at the prison. AU but with events from the show. NOW HAS CORRECT CHAPTER 5 - SO SORRY ABOUT THAT.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N I should be doing the next chapter of Hotwire ( will be coming soon) but I found this on my computer and decided to throw it out there and see what you think. Please let me know.**

**Enjoy and thanks for reading.**

Chapter 1

Daryl had been hunting for most of the day and only found a couple of squirrels and a few rabbits. The woods felt off somehow. He'd hunted there often enough he knew when something wasn't right. There was no bird song and all the small animals seemed to have gone to ground. He couldn't hear the tell-tale sounds of walkers so that meant there was something else causing the wildlife to hide away. He decided to call it a day and return to the prison. It was getting late and he had a good six or seven mile hike before dark.

As he turned back he heard something, at first he thought it was just an animal but then when it came again, he realised it was human, probably a woman. It wasn't a scream, more of a whimper but defiantly someone in trouble.

He hesitated before turning away.

"Come on Dixon, go home, can't save everyone" he told himself as he started to head away from the sound.

"Please, don't" the woman's voice was clear and nearby "No" she pleaded.

With a sigh, he turned back, there was no way he could ignore that.

"Gonna regret this" he told himself, as he crept closer, crossbow raised. He heard a thud and a small cry as if someone had fallen. He heard a man's laugh and peered through the trees ahead of him. In a small clearing he could see a man leaning over the fallen body of a pretty, young woman. As he watched the man laughed again and grabbed at the woman's shirt, pulling it from her shoulders and throwing it to the ground. She tried to crawl away from him, but he grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled her back.

"You aint going anywhere until I finished with you" he sneered.

Daryl raised the crossbow, taking careful aim at the man's head, his blood boiling. Men like this made him sick. His finger tightened on the trigger and he was about to release the bolt when a twig snapped somewhere to his side. His head shot round and he found himself staring down the barrel of a rifle. He span the crossbow round, now aiming at the man smiling at him from behind the gun.

"Hell boy, you shoot me and you're dead before I hit the ground" The man told him. He heard a weapon cocking behind him and then the man from the clearing appeared, holding a hand gun. He was surrounded.

Cursing he lowered his weapon, seeing no alternative at this time.

"My Hero" an amused voice commented and the woman he'd been trying to rescue stepped in front of him buttoning her shirt back up. She reached out and pulled the crossbow from his hands. He swore again as he realised he'd been set up.

"Nice work Becca" one of the men smiled as she sauntered away. Daryl saw the man's attention had drifted slightly as he spoke to the woman so he took his chance. He lunged forward going for the man's rifle. His fingers grabbed the barrel and he tried to wrench it away but the man was stronger and faster than he looked. He jerked the gun up and twisted it, pulling Daryl off balance. The other two men jumped forward. Daryl let go of the gun and started to throw punches. Most made contact but he was outnumbered. A rifle butt smashed into the back of his head and he went down. As he tried to struggle back to his feet he caught a glimpse of the woman approaching from the side. She swung his crossbow and bought it down hard. Everything went black.

When he woke he was being dragged from a car and into a rundown farm house, his hands bound tightly in front of him with rough rope that was already cutting into his wrists. He was shoved through a door and into a kitchen. He started to fight as the men tried to get him through a door in the corner of the kitchen.

"God damn son of a bitch!" one of them muttered as Daryl caught his nose with his bound hands. He swung the butt of his rifle and hit Daryl in the small of the back, causing him to stumble forward. The woman, Becca, opened the door and stepped back.

"How hard can it be to get one man down there?" she exclaimed in annoyance.

"Are we having problems?" a tall, man with greying hair walked into the kitchen. He took in the situation with a grin.

"I see, we got a feisty one have we?" The three men had managed to get Daryl to the doorway but he was refusing to go through it. He jammed his foot against the frame and pushed back with all his weight. The men holding him lost their balance and staggered back, one of them falling. Becca gave a loud sigh and pulled a hand gun from her waistband. She aimed it at Daryl.

"Just hold still" she ordered as he caught sight of her. Her cold look gave him no doubt she would shot to kill without a second thought. He straightened and glared directly at her. She indicated with the gun,

"Just go through there, no more bullshit" she demanded. As he passed her he kicked out, sweeping his leg behind hers, knocking her to the floor.

"Don't you point no gun at me, bitch" he snarled. The greying man laughed as she jumped to her feet, eyes blazing.

"Bastard!" she snapped, raising the gun again, half turning to the greying man. "Michael, let me kill him" she requested.

"Not just yet, Becca. You can have him later" He reassured her as he nodded to the other men. Warily they approached Daryl, this time managing to get him through the door. There was a flight of wooden stairs leading to a basement and they shoved him down. When they were about half way down Michael stepped past the men and kicked Daryl in the back of the leg. With his hands bound he had no way of regaining his balance and he fell down the remaining stairs. He landed in a heap on the earthen floor of the basement, hearing them all laughing. He rolled to his feet as they surrounded him. Two of them picked up baseball bats from where they were leaning against the wall.

"You gotta use bats 'cos you too pussy to take me out without them?" he goaded as they approached.

Michael gave him a cold smile.

"They use bats because it hurts more" he explained as the first blows landed.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

When Daryl awoke he couldn't decide which bit of him hurt the most, his ribs were bruised from the kicks they'd received, his back and head ached from the blows from the baseball bats and his shoulders were screaming from taking his weight. A loop of chain had been passed around his bound wrists and then threaded over a pipe suspended in the ceiling. The ends of the chain were held with a large padlock. His arms were pulled above his head, his feet just touching the floor. Slowly his head cleared and he looked around the basement, trying to see a way out. The room was L shaped and he could see several racks with bottles of wine along one wall, there was also a small table with glasses on , but nothing useful. More worrying was the car battery on the floor, a strange cylindrical object attached to it and a long pole connected by a wire. There were several buckets of water nearby. He had a bad feeling about that.

It was hot in the basement and his throat was parched, he hadn't eaten since the night before and he was famished. He'd lost track of time, there were no windows so he didn't even know if it was night or day. He passed the time by trying to pull the pipe the chain was wrapped around free, but to no avail. It was solid.

Somehow he must have dozed off because he was awoken by the door slamming open and the crashing of feet down the wooden stairs. Three of the men from earlier were dragging a young woman down with them. She was twisting and struggling to free herself but they were too strong. As they tried to drag her across the earthen floor she dug her feet in. In annoyance one of the men lashed out and backhanded her across the face. She fell sideways, only staying on her feet because of the other men holding her. Michael walked down the stairs and strolled over to her.

"Told you before, it's a lot easier if you co-operate" he gripped her arms and held tight as one of the others produced some rope and tied her hands in front of her, the rope cutting in deeply.

Two of the men pulled out hand guns and approached Daryl warily. He was shoved backwards as far as the chain would allow and the guns were held close, one to his head the other to his gut.

"Don't give us the excuse, asshole" One of them hissed. The woman was shoved forward and her arms were yanked upwards. Michael pulled a small key from his pocket and reached up, undoing the padlock. He looped the chain around the woman's wrists and locked it again.

"Thought you might like some company" he said pleasantly as they all moved away. The woman was facing him, her arms brushing against his as she leant as far away as she could. She was a couple of inches shorter than him so her feet barely reached the floor, even when she stood on tip toes.

"Hell" one of the men laughed "Chaining her up there with him like that, it's like giving a starving man a bowl of soup and then only letting him have a fork to eat it with" the others stared at him blankly.

"What you talking about?" another asked.

He sighed "Well he's got this tasty little bitch all trussed up and pressed up against him and he can't do a damn thing with her. Seems kinda cruel" The others stared then started laughing.

"God, Ed, you are such an asshole" one of them chuckled as they left the room.

Daryl glanced at the woman in front of him. She was leaning back, her arms at an angle as she tried to avoid pressing against him, this meant that her feet were lifted further from the ground. He didn't like close contact with people but could see she was already struggling

"Gonna have to stand up straighter" he told her, looking at the floor "Else yer shoulders'll be hurtin' yer even more" He glanced up and caught her eye as she debated what he's said.

"S'not like I can do anything to yer is it?" He glared up at his hands.

"I guess not" she straightened her arms , taking some pressure of her shoulders but pulling them much closer together. Her legs were bumping against his and their torsos were pressed against each other. He glanced down and saw that her feet still struggled to reach the ground. He sighed and jammed his foot under one of hers, giving her an extra inch of height. She shot him an embarrassed but grateful look as the pressure eased even more.

"Thanks" she mumbled.

"I guess if we're going be this close for a while we ought to introduce ourselves" She tried to lighten the situation. "I'm Cassie"

"Daryl" he grunted, feeling trapped and uncomfortable with the enforced contact.

"How did they manage to trap you here?" she asked.

Daryl didn't really want to make conversation but couldn't just ignore her,

"Thought I was helping someone out, turns out it was a set up. Rest of the dicks were waiting in the side-lines. Beat the crap out of me and locked me up down here"

"I bet it was the pretty one you thought you were helping" she managed a small smile. He gave her an embarrassed look and turned away.

"How'd they get you then" he asked

"I was on a run to a pharmacy with two men from my group. When we were in there five men turned up. The men I was with ran at the first opportunity, left me behind. I took out one of the gang but the others overpowered me. They roughed me up a bit then shoved me in here with you"

She saw his lips twice slightly.

"It's a hell of a first date" he commented.

She gave a short bark of laughter.

"Believe it or not I've had worse" she told him.

He stole a few glances at her as she looked around the room, taking in the same things he'd seen, not seeing a way out. She had dark brown eyes and wavy brunette hair and he guessed she was in her early thirties. She was a little shorter than him, with a slender form and a low throaty voice, not a stunning beauty but certainly very attractive. He stopped his thoughts from wandering too far, it wouldn't be right, not with her pressed so close to him. He realised she was looking at him, a slight smile on her face.

"I've got an idea but it means we have to get a little closer" she informed him.

He raised an eyebrow "How can we gonna get closer than this?"

He followed her look as she glanced up at their bound hands.

"I should be able to reach the knots in your ropes if I could get a little more height" she explained "I don't think you can reach me can you?"

He stretched his fingers, trying to reach the knots in the ropes binding her but because of the way they two of them were tied together they were just out of reach.

"How you gonna get taller?" he asked. Instead of replying she wrapped her fingers around the chain, gripping it firmly. She pulled herself up, so her feet were a few inches from the ground. She smiled at him and then lifted her legs, wrapping them around his waist. Instinctively he recoiled from the touch, jerking backwards as far as he could go. She lost her grip and gave a small yelp as her arms took her full weight as she dropped back down.

"Damn it, woman" he snarled "Warn a man when yer gonna do something like that"

"It's not something I make a habit of doing" Cassie looked sheepish "I didn't think it would cause that sort of reaction"

Daryl took a deep breath, "You wanna try again, I'll stay still"

She nodded and grasped the chain again. This time he forced himself to stand still as her legs encircled his waist. He kept his eyes on her hands as she carefully picked at the knot, working it loose, trying not to think about her thighs resting just above his hips, her stomach on his chest.

"It's coming undone" she said excitedly as the first knot started to work free. She was just pulling the rope through from the last knot when the door opened.

"Looks like we're disturbing an intimate moment here" Michael came down the stairs, two men behind him, both holding rifles. Becca followed an amused smirk on her face as she looked at them.

Cassie unwrapped her legs and dropped down, giving Daryl a long look. He waited until Michael was closer and then jumped forward. The rope was still tied to one of his wrists but he managed to wrap the loose end around Michael's neck. He yanked it back, choking the man as he clawed at the rope. The two men raised their weapons but couldn't get a clear shot as Daryl was using Michael as a shield.

"Drop yer guns" he yelled at them as he pulled the rope tighter. The men exchanged glances, then grinned keeping the guns aimed.

"How about you let him go and she gets to keep her pretty little head intact" Becca's cold voice came from behind him. He twisted slightly, seeing Becca holding a handful of Cassie's hair, forcing her head back, a hand gun jammed under her chin, the barrel digging into her flesh. Cassie meet his eyes and managed to give a slight shake of her head, trying to tell him not to release Michael. She knew if he did neither of them would make it out alive. She saw the resigned look on his face as his hand loosened the grip on the rope.

"No!" she cried, Becca jabbed the gun harder against her skin, causing it to bruise. Daryl let go of the rope and shoved the semi-conscious man away from him. He slumped to the ground, gasping for breath.

"Deal with them" he choked at the two men, who were already moving forwards, towards Daryl, guns raised.

Becca used the butt of her gun to strike the back of Cassie's head, leaving her dazed and unresisting as she was untied and dragged to the other side of the basement. Becca shoved her to the ground and snapped a pair of handcuffs around one of her wrists, attaching the other bracelet to a pipe connected to an old water heater. She slumped on the floor, trying not to pass out. She could hear the sounds of a violent fight between Daryl and the two men. She saw Becca looming over her, saw her grinning face as she raised the gun again and then it all went dark.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

She came round with a start, her arm cramping from being laid on for too long. Her head was pounding and she was having trouble focusing on anything. She could hear voices but they sounded distant and muffled, almost as if she was underwater. After a few minutes her head cleared and she could make out what was being said.

"I'm going to ask you some questions and it will be better for you if you answer them straight away" It was Michael, talking in that reasonable, friendly way he had. Moving her head slightly she could see Daryl. He was chained to the pipes again, this time facing the wall. He was shirtless and for some reason dripping wet. Michael was holding a long pole, a wire trailing from it. Becca was leaning against a wall, an expectant look on her face.

Do you know what this is?" Michael asked pleasantly, as he tied a bundle of cloth to the end of the pole and dunked it into a bucket of water, soaking it thoroughly.

"It's called a Picana and is commonly used in some of the less enlightened countries to get information from prisoners. The Cylinder there is a rheostat, moving the slider raises the voltage. The higher the volts the more pain. Voltage hurts but is less likely to kill the victim than high current" He looked directly at Daryl.

"Now where is your group?"

Daryl glared at him defiantly.

"Aint telling you nothin'" He spat.

Michael sighed

"I thought you might say something like that" he said, sounding sad.

He nodded at Becca and she pulled herself away from the wall and bent, attaching the end of the wire to the car battery. Michael jabbed the end with the wet rags into Daryl's side. Cassie saw his body twitch as the electrical charge surged through him. He grit his teeth, refusing to make a sound. Michael jabbed him again, this time in the small of his back and he jerked again.

"Where is your group?" Michael asked again "How many are there?" Daryl raised his head and stared back at the man.

"Just me, aint got a group" he said quietly.

Michael stared back at him for a few seconds then jammed the pole into Daryl's back again.

"We both know that's not true" He lowered the pole, "When we bought you here, you had far too much game on you for one person . You were hunting for a group. Tell me where they are" his voice was quiet but Cassie could hear the menace in it, sense the threat. When Daryl didn't reply he jabbed him again.

"Have to say he's a strong son of a bitch" Cassie realised that several of the men from the group were watching the interrogation, leaning against the wall behind her. One of them glanced at the others, "Usually they've folded by know, told us everything" A couple of others nodded in agreement.

She couldn't watch anymore and turned her attention to the cuff attaching her to the pipes. The pipes were old and rusting and she started to pull at them discreetly, using her body to hide what she was doing.

After a few more minutes of questioning and not getting anywhere Michael was getting angry. Becca stepped forward again and disconnected the wire from the battery. She stepped in front of Michael and pushed the pole down, away from Daryl.

"Let me" she said "Maybe I can talk him into co-operating" Michael gave her a curt nod and turned away.

Becca stepped in front of Daryl and reached up, grasping his chin in her hand and lifting his face so he was looking at her.

"You can stop all this pain right now" she told him, her voice full of concern as she glanced back at Michael. "He's starting to get pissed off and that means he'll hurt you more to get what he wants. Tell me what we need to know and it will all be over. We'll get you cut down, go back upstairs, get you cleaned up, fed and watered" She leaned closer, laying her hand on his chest.

" Maybe we could get to know each other a little better" she moved closer, brushing her lips over his. Daryl jerked his head away , his eyes meeting hers.

"I wouldn't touch a skank like you if you was the last bitch alive" he jeered. Becca stepped back, unfazed by the insult.

"Then I guess I'll just leave it to my brother then" she smiled, looking at Michael.

"No one insults my sister like that" he nodded to Becca, "Increase the volts"

She reached down to the rheostat, connected to the battery and adjusted the slider on it, then re-attached the wire. She stepped back and leant on the wall again.

"Where is your group, how many are there?" He demanded. Daryl stared at him silently, too exhausted to even goad him anymore. Michael rewet the bundle of cloth and pushed the pole against Daryl's side, this time holding it in place for a few seconds. Daryl twisted against his bonds, trying to escape the volts surging through him. He still managed not to cry out. He wasn't going to give them the satisfaction of hearing him in pain.

Cassie had loosened the pipe enough she could slide the cuff free but knew that she couldn't do anything to help at the moment. She was unarmed and outnumbered. She sat quietly, waiting for the right opportunity. She heard the questions being repeated time after time and wondered how the man could take the torture without making a sound. She heard Michael order the voltage increased again and had one of the men throw more water over Daryl.

"The water makes the electric flow through the body so much better" He sneered as he jabbed again. This time the pain was too much and Daryl did cry out for the first time. It was a howl of pain, anger and frustration and seemed to make Michael want to hurt him more. Cassie looked up and saw Daryl trying to flinch away from the pole as it was pushed towards him again. It struck his back and his legs buckled as the increased voltage flowed through him. He forced himself back to his feet.

"Looks like we've found his breaking point" Becca watched as he tried again and failed to avoid the pole. Finally his legs crumpled and he couldn't get back to his feet. He hung from the chains, all his weight on his shoulders, his head hanging, chin resting on his chest. As Michael aimed again he said in a small, pained voice.

"They're on a farm"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Michael lowered the pole.

"And where is this farm?" he asked

Daryl was breathing hard, still suspended uncomfortably.

"Don't know the route number but can find it on a map" he muttered brokenly. Becca sent one of the men to find a map.

"How many are there, what weapons do they have?" Michael was still firing the questions.

"Bout 35 people, got rifles and a couple of semi-automatics" Daryl told him. The man returned with a map and Daryl was released from the chains. He slumped to the ground, barely conscious.

"Show us where it is" Michael held the map open in front of him. Daryl forced himself to look at the map and finally pointed out where the farm was.

"Mile or so down this track, just off the interstate, got a sign on the gate that says Greene. My groups camped by the farm house. Old man and his two daughters in the house."

"Thank you, you've been most helpful" Michael got to his feet and gathered his men up.

"Get ready. We'll go pay a visit to this farm right away. See what we can find" They all filed out of the room, leaving Daryl on the floor and Cassie still cuffed to the pipes. As soon as they had gone she slid the cuff free from the now broken pipe. Quickly she moved to Daryl's side, lifting his head from the floor, laying it on her lap.

"Hey" she called, lightly slapping his cheek "Come on, you've got to wake up" He groaned and swatted her hand away.

"Leave me be" he complained. She realised he was shivering and still wet so she pulled off her over-shirt and used it to try and wipe the excess water from his face and chest. Using her damp shirt as a pillow she lay his head carefully down and got up to search the basement, looking for anything she could use as a weapon. By the racks of wine she found an old fashioned corkscrew with a wooden handle and a small pocket knife. It was obviously designed to remove the foil from wine bottles and only had a short two inch blade that folded into the handle. She tucked the corkscrew into her waistband, hiding the handle with her tee shirt. She picked up a wineglass and scooped up some water from one of the buckets. Returning to Daryl she lifted his head again and tried to get some water down his throat. At first he coughed and spluttered but then managed to swallow some. His eyes opened and he stared up at her blankly.

"How you feeling?" she asked, then realised what a dumb question that was.

He gulped down some more water.

"Felt better" he told her.

She got to her feet again and went over to the car battery and the pole. Quickly she pulled the wire from the end of the pole and coiled it up. She took it and shoved it behind one of the wine racks.

"That should slow them down a bit, if they want to use that again" she returned to his side and pulled out small knife. She tucked it into his pocket.

"It's all I could find, maybe it will come in use" she told him as she reached for the ropes still binding his wrists. She hadn't got very far when the door crashed open and Michael strode down the stairs with some of his men.

"It's time to go pay a visit to your friends" he told Daryl "You're coming as well in case we need a bargaining chip" He frowned when he saw Cassie was free "You seem to make a habit of escaping, I think we'll take you with us as well so we know where you are" Two men grabbed a still weak Daryl and pulled him to his feet. Another grabbed Cassie and held her while Michael retied her hands. The two of them were pulled upstairs and outside. Three vehicles were waiting in the yard, engines running and several armed men standing around.

"Put them in the trunk of my car" Michael ordered. They were shoved towards a 1990's Cadillac and the trunk was pulled open. An unresisting Daryl was pushed inside and a struggling Cassie was forced in. The lid was slammed shut and they were left in darkness, once again pressed up against each other.

"Hell, second date aint going any better than the first" Daryl muttered as he tried to shift to one side and give Cassie more room.

"Least we made it to a second date" Cassie wiggled on to her side and lay between Daryl and the back seats of the car "I thought for a while we wouldn't get through this night"

"Night aint over yet" Daryl commented darkly as they felt the car move off.

It was about an hour later when the car stopped and they heard doors slamming and voices calling. They heard Michael telling the others to go in shooting and not bother about survivors, all they were interested in was the supplies.

Cassie couldn't understand how Daryl could be so calm, hearing this. They were talking about murdering his group.

As soon as it had gone quiet Daryl started to struggle to free himself.

"We gotta get out of here soon as we can" he told her "My group aint here, we got run outta this place by a herd a few months back. I'm hoping enough walkers are still hanging around to give this lot something to keep them busy." He twisted round and held his arms towards her

"Think you can undo these ropes again?" She reached out and spent the next few minutes trying to work the knots lose.

"I can't, they've done them too tight this time" she told him. He swore and tried to feel around for something to use to get free.

"Wait" Cassie cried "If I can get the knife from your pocket I might be able to get us out." They shuffled around until she could reach into his pocket and her fingertips touched the knife. She grasped it and pulled it out then rolled over so her back was against his chest. Fumbling a bit and trying not to drop the small knife she managed to pull it open. Not wasting any time trying to cut their wrists free she drove the short blade into the back of the rear seat in front of her, hacking through the leather look plastic. Once she'd made a big enough cut she slid her fingers inside and tugged hard. The plastic began to rip and finally she'd torn enough off she could fold it back. The metal springs of the seat were now exposed and she tried to pull then free.

"Let me try" Daryl tried to reach over her head to grasp the springs and pull them away but he wasn't close enough to grip them .

"Gonna have to swap places" he told her. She nodded and rolled over, sliding across him so he was facing the rear seats. After a few minutes of struggling he had managed to bend the springs, making a gap big enough for her to slip through. He used the knife to hack the padding and the front of the seat cover away and she wriggled over him again as she squeezed through and into the car. Quickly she opened the door and ran to the trunk, popping it open and helping him out.

They could hear the sound of shouting and gunfire in the distance and Daryl gave a satisfied nod.

"Sounds like there's enough walkers left to give them trouble. Gives us time to get out of here" He looked around, trying to get his bearings.

"We cut through the woods that way, there's an old farm house we can hole up in." He remembered it from his search for Sophia. Cassie had no idea where she was so she just agreed with him. Once they had reached the cover of the trees she stopped and held up the small knife.

"Let me see if this will cut the ropes. I'll feel safer if we've got our hands free" He held his hands out, keeping a look out as she sawed through the ropes. Eventually he was free and he did the same for her. They set off at a run, heading for the shelter of the farmhouse.

**A/N Thanks to the guest reviewer - Should have known Daryl would never willingly give up the group :) **

**Thank you to all those following and favouriting.**

**Next chapter coming soon.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks for the two guest reviews, hope you are still enjoying it.**

Chapter 5

The distant sound of gunfire was drawing walkers from throughout the woods and it wasn't long before they were spotted by several. One lunged from behind a tree and crashed into Daryl. He managed to get his hands up and push it away before it could sink its teeth into his arm. He fumbled for the knife and shoved it into the walker's eye. The blade was too short to do any good and the creature snapped at him again. Desperately he tried to push it off him with exhausted arms. Suddenly it fell forward limply. He shoved it away and it fell to the ground. Cassie was there, the corkscrew in her hand, bits of skin and brain hanging off it.

He nodded his thanks and she gave a slight smile as they set off again, several walkers lumbering behind them. They found the old abandoned farmhouse and crashed through the door into the kitchen. It was just as Daryl remembered it from his search for Sofia. The pillow and blankets were still in the small pantry and he pulled out the bottom two shelves to give them room to stand, throwing them to the side as he shoved Cassie inside.

"Gonna have to hide in here, hope they don't find us" He slammed the kitchen door shut and dragged a table in front of it as the first walkers started banging against it. They both knew it wouldn't hold for long.

Cassie pressed herself against the far wall of the tiny space, making as much space as she could for Daryl. He squeezed in with her and managed to pull the pantry door shut. Through the slats in the upper part of the door they saw the kitchen door burst open and walkers spill into the room. They were pressed close together again, chest to chest and their eyes met. Both saw the fear reflected in the other's expression. Cassie turned her head and rested her cheek against his chest and he could feel her shaking against him. He wanted to put his arm around her to offer some small comfort but there wasn't the room to move and he didn't want to risk making a noise so he just stood there watching the walkers as they stumbled around the kitchen. Some wandered into the rest of the house but most of them stood aimlessly in the kitchen, heads turning as they searched for the prey they had followed here.

They stayed huddled together in the pantry for several long hours before the enough walkers left the house and they felt it worth the risk to leave the relative safety of the small space. Their bodies were aching and stiff from standing still for so long. A quick search of the untidy kitchen found a couple of kitchen knives, but no food or water. They thought about heading upstairs to see if they could find a shirt for Daryl but could hear the footsteps of more than one walker ambling around.

"Need to leave" he told her "Have to get back to my group, then we can get you back to your people"

She shook her head "I don't intend to go back to them, they just left me to those men. There's nothing I need to go back there for" She looked hopefully up at him. "Can I stay with your group?"

"Can't see why not" he reassured her, he would make sure the others let her stay. She'd saved him more than once so he felt he owed her something. Cautiously they left the house, knives held in front of them. They saw several walkers in the trees but slipped past them quietly.

Cassie followed Daryl for hours, impressed with how he could find his way through the woods so easily. He just seemed to glance at the ground or a tree and would adjust their course slightly, leading them in the right direction, back towards his group. They travelled for the rest of the day and it became harder when darkness fell, they were both exhausted, hungry and thirsty. When they came across a sluggish shallow stream, the water brown and earthy, both were so dehydrated they had no choice but to scoop up handfuls. She could see he was tiring, the adrenalin that had kept them both going wearing off. She had no idea how he was still moving, not after everything he'd been through in the last few days. She could see the cuts and bruises on his chest and back, as well as his face. She couldn't even think about how much internal damage there could be as a result of the electric shock torture. Finally, when he'd stumbled once again, this time almost falling, she caught his arm.

"We need to stop, you have to rest" she told him as he pulled himself free from her grip and tried to carry on. She slipped in front of him and put her hands on his shoulders, pushing him down. He found he didn't have the strength to resist her slight push and sank to the ground, back against a tree.

"Just for a bit" he told her, his head lolling to one side. He was asleep in a few seconds, all resistance gone. Cassie settled herself next to him, she was tired as well but determined to stay awake while he got the rest he clearly needed.

Sunlight was just creeping into the depths of the woods when she heard the sounds of people moving through the trees. They weren't trying to be quiet, moving confidently and with purpose. Cassie pulled herself to her feet, knife in front of her as she stood protectively in front of the still sleeping Daryl. He hadn't moved all night, not even when she'd taken out the walker that had stumbled across them.

The group of four stopped when they saw the young woman standing in front of them, swaying on her feet but still threatening them with what looked like a large kitchen knife.

"Keep away" she snarled, trying to look like she could take them out and wasn't about to keel over where she stood.

A man with dark hair and beard stepped forward; he slipped his gun into its holster and held his hands out to his sides.

"We don't want to hurt you" he told her calmly "We're just looking for our friend, he's been missing for a couple of days. She saw his eyes look over her dirty and dishevelled appearance.

"Do you need help?" he asked gently "We can spare some food and water if you want it" He turned to a pretty brunette woman at his side.

"Maggie, why don't you get her something to eat and drink. We can leave it just here on the ground, then you can get it once we've gone, if that makes you feel safer." The woman opened her backpack and pulled out a few cans and some bottles of water. Quickly she opened the cans with her knife and then took a few steps forward. She bent and placed them on the ground, a few yards from Cassie's feet. As she stood she caught sight of Daryl, still slumped against the tree. Her eyes widened as she took a few quick steps towards him.

"Rick!" she cried urgently "It's Daryl, he's here" As she tried to get closer Cassie span towards her, pointing the knife directly at her.

"Stay back" she demanded, all menace lost as she stumbled when she moved.

The woman held up her hands.

"That's our friend, Daryl" she said softly "We've been looking for him for two days. You can trust us. It looks like you both need help, please let us take care of you."

Cassie hesitated, looking at each of them. She saw a young Asian man and a young boy in a sheriff's hat. They were both watching her in concern, trying to see the man behind her.

The bearded man took a step closer to her,

"My name's Rick" he told her "Daryl went hunting for us a couple of days ago. When he didn't come back we set out to find him. It looks like you got there first. What happened?" He stole another step closer.

Cassie took a deep breath and lowered the knife. She felt she could trust them and she also knew she had no choice. Maggie was right they did need help.

"We were captured by a group, they tortured him to find out where his camp was, he lied and told them it was a farm and we managed to escape. He's exhausted and hurt but he managed to get us this far."

Maggie had gone to Daryl and was checking him over.

"He's taken quite a beating" she called over as Rick closed the gap between himself and Cassie. He reached out and took the knife from her unresisting hand and she sank down to the ground, letting him take over.

"They used electric shocks to make him talk" she informed them "he resisted a long time so they did it a lot."

"Where are they now?" The Asian man asked, glancing around as if he expected people to come pouring out of the trees.

"The farm he sent them to was one you'd been in before. He said you'd been overrun and forced to leave. He hoped there were still enough walkers left to take care of them. We heard a lot of gunfire so I guess there were plenty left." She told them as she reached for one of the bottles of water and drained half of it in one go.

"He sent them to your farm" the boy stared at Maggie, who nodded.

"It was a good idea" she replied to him "and it sounds like it worked."

Rick pulled off his jacket and wrapped it around Daryl and between them he and the Asian man, who introduced himself as Glenn, managed to get Daryl to his feet. He half woke as they lifted him and allowed them to guide him through the trees. Maggie helped Cassie and they worked their way through the woods and back onto the road where they had left the car they had arrived in. They strapped Daryl in the front passenger seat and then Maggie, Glenn and the boy, Carl, who was Rick's son got in the back seat. Rick helped Cassie slide in the car, lying across the legs of the three in the back, her head on cradled Maggie's lap.

Rick climbed into the driver's seat and they set off quickly, heading back to the prison.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N Not a new chapter but the correct one. I knew it was a mistake to load two stories at the same time. I can't believe I got it so wrong.**

**I'm so sorry about that, I hope you enjoy the right chapter 5.**

**(If you liked the incorrect one it's from Hotwire ;)**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N Right chapter in the right place this time. Bit of a filler but chapter 7 up soon.**

**Guest Reviewer - Thanks for the lovely comment. I'm really pleased you enjoy my stories.**

Chapter 6

The bed was narrow and the mattress thin but to Cassie it was the most comfortable thing she had slept on in months. Once they had arrived at the prison Daryl had been taken to the medical room and she had been guided to a cell. Maggie had bought her food and more water as well as clean clothes. She'd stayed with her for a while then left, telling her to get some sleep and that they would introduce her to everyone else later. It was now several hours later and she was feeling a lot more human. She stood up, planning to go and find Daryl, to see how he was when she heard someone at the doorway to her cell.

"Well aint you just a real sweet little piece?" a rough voice drawled. Turning she saw a scruffy man in his forties leaning on the door post. He was looking her up and down and clearly liked what he saw. He ran his hand over his close cropped hair as he stepped into the cell, moving a lot closer than she felt happy with. She saw he only had one hand, the missing one replaced with a large blade.

"Hell, no wonder my baby bro went missing so long if he was stuck with a pretty little piece of ass like you" he smirked at her obvious discomfort.

"You don't need to be scared of ol' Merle" he told her "Sounds like you done right by my little brother. That means I owe you one" he looked her over again "I can think of one sure way I can say thanks" he leered.

"That's enough Merle. Leave the girl alone" Cassie was relieved to see Rick in the doorway. Merle stepped away and sneered at Rick.

"Well, Officer Friendly, I was just thanking this fine thing for lookin' out for my Bro. Surely you aint got a problem with that" Merle brushed past Rick, deliberately banging into his shoulder as he left the cell.

"Don't mind him, he's just an asshole" Rick smiled at her "We only put up with him because he's Daryl's brother" He held out his hand "come on, I guess you want to see how he's doing and meet the others"

Cassie nodded and let him lead her from the cell into the main cell block, several people she hadn't met smiled at her, making her feel reassured. Rick took her into a cell where she saw Daryl laying back in bed, a white haired older man at his side. When the man stood up to greet her, she saw he was missing half of one leg and using crutches to get around.

He grasped her hand with a friendly smile.

"I'm Herschel" he told her "and you must be Cassie. Daryl has told me some of what you two went through. You're a very resourceful young woman. I can't imagine anyone else has killed a walker using a corkscrew" He chuckled. She gave a small smile

"Just had to make the most of what I could find. It took ages to get it out again, I had to unscrew it"

She heard Rick laugh behind her and saw Herschel smile broadly.

"That sounds disgusting" he commented

"It was" Cassie confirmed, looking past him to the man on the bed. Herschel saw the look and moved towards the door, catching Ricks arm to take him out with him.

"He'll be fine in a few days, luckily there was no lasting damage. Nothing a few days rest won't cure" he told her as the two men left them alone. Herschel reached up and dropped the sheet pinned over the doorway for privacy.

Cassie awkwardly made her way over to the bed. Daryl was laying, propped on several pillows, holding the sheet up to his chin, keeping himself covered out of habit. He knew she'd seen the scars and guessed she was disgusted by them.

"How you feein?" he asked her awkwardly.

"Better for a good night's sleep and some food" she told him "they seem like good people here"

"Yeah, they are" he confirmed as she fidgeted, standing next to the bed. He moved his legs to the side and told her to sit down, so she perched on the edge and they sat silently, not knowing what to say.

There was a bang on the door frame and a mocking voice called

"Alright to come in or are you tapping that fine thing in there, Darlena?" Merle laughed as he barged into the cell.

"Shut the hell up Merle" Daryl growled at his brother, throwing an apologetic look at Cassie. She stood and made her way out of the cell.

"I'll see you later" she told Daryl, ignoring Merle. As she left she heard Merle's mocking tone again.

"You gonna find the balls to jump that or you just gonna let someone else beat you to it?"

She didn't hear Daryl's words but his tone wasn't polite.

She found Maggie and Glenn in a large common area and they introduced her to the rest of the group. There was Maggie's sister, a beautiful young blonde girl called Beth, who cared for Rick's baby daughter Judith. Carol was an attractive, older woman who looked after the whole group. It was her that cooked and did the laundry and generally mothered the rest of them. She gave Cassie a friendly hug and thanked her for helping to bring Daryl back to them.

"I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him" Cassie told them "He went through so much and still got us both out"

Glenn grinned at her "Yeah, he's a stubborn son of a bitch alright"

She was heading back to her cell when she heard heavy footsteps behind her.

"Wait up darlin' I need to talk to yer" Reluctantly she stopped as Merle ran up the stairs behind her. He stared at her for a few seconds, then spoke.

"You think you can tell me how to find those assholes that hurt my brother?" he asked abruptly. "I feel the need for a little payback"

Cassie thought for a minute. She didn't like Merle but could see that he was genuinely concerned about his younger brother.

"I can't tell you how to get there, but if you take me to the pharmacy I was in when they took me I can show you." she saw the startled look on his face.

"What, you think you're the only one that wants payback?" she asked.

He frowned at her "Daryl'll tear me a new one if he knows I took you back there. It aint gonna be safe" he actually sounded worried.

"He won't worry if he doesn't know and I can take care of myself. It maybe there aren't many survivors after the attack on the farm." She was determined to go back with him. Her bruised jaw reminded her she had a score to settle with Becca.

They waited until nightfall before taking one of the cars and heading for the gates. Glenn was on guard duty and was reluctant to open the gates for them.

"It's not safe after dark and I'm sure Rick won't be happy with you going out" he tried to reason with them.

"Look, Chinaman" Merle explained patiently, "We're goin' whether you like it or not, so if you don't come and open these damn gates I'll do it myself and leave them open behind me, then you'll have to fight the walkers that get in."

Glenn knew that Merle would do what he said so he reluctantly let them out, muttering as he slid the gate shut behind them. He prayed they both made it back okay as he didn't want to face Daryl if they didn't.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 7

As they drove to the pharmacy she'd been taken from Cassie found herself actually warming to Merle. When he wasn't trying to live up to his reputation as an asshole he wasn't a bad man. He obviously cared for his brother, despite all his teasing and abruptness towards him when they were together. He seemed genuinely concerned that she didn't get hurt when they finally arrived at the groups farm, telling her to stay back and let him scout ahead. He returned to her hiding place and told her there was only one car parked outside, a large Cadillac.

"That sounds like Michael's car" she told him "He was the leader. It was that trunk we were forced into." She saw Merle look across at her and waited for the crude comment about being squashed together in a tight space. To her surprise it didn't come.

"You ready to go?" he asked "Got your gun all sorted, safety off, fully loaded?" She nodded

"I'm ready"

They ran to the back door of the farm and Merle pulled it open quietly. There was no one in the kitchen and they slipped in closing the door behind them. They moved into the hallway and saw a sleepy man, supposedly on watch. It didn't take much for Merle to grab him in a choke hold and drag him back to the kitchen.

"How many of you left? Where are they?" Cassie demanded, her gun against the man's head.

"Most of us didn't make it back from the farm, there's only me and Ed, plus Michael and Becca" he stammered "They're in the bedrooms upstairs" Cassie lowered her gun and exchanged a look with Merle, he gave her a tight lipped smiled and she turned away. As she left the kitchen she heard a small cry and the sound of a body being lowered to the floor. Merle was at her side a second later, wiping the blood from his blade, no remorse on his face for killing the man.

"Come on" he told her as they headed upstairs. In the first room they checked they found Ed, asleep in the bed. It didn't take long for Merle to plunge the blade into his jaw, angling it upwards to prevent him from reanimating, while Cassie held a pillow over his face to mask any sounds he made. They moved to the next room. It was Becca and she was awake when they opened the door. She saw Cassie and leapt from the bed, launching herself at the smaller woman, screaming her brother's name, trying to warn him.

"Go" Cassie ordered Merle "I got this, you kill Michael. He's the one that hurt Daryl the most." She lashed out as Becca tried to hit her, knocking the furious woman back. Merle ran from the room, heading for the last closed door upstairs, reaching for the handle just as it flew open. He found himself face to face with a tall man with greying hair and an annoying smirk on his face.

He managed to land a satisfying punch in the man's face before he struck back and the two of them began a vicious fight.

Cassie had pinned Becca to the ground and was landing blow after blow on her when Merle sauntered into the room. He leant on the door post watching the two women.

"Don't mind me" he smirked at Cassie "Can't beat a good old fashioned cat fight"

"Did you kill him?" Cassie asked between blows

"Course I did." Merle lit a cigarette and carried on watching "Choked the last breathe out of him, but figured I'd let him turn. Scum like that don't deserve an easy way out"

Becca let out a howl of anguish and managed to throw Cassie off her. She lunged at Merle and he laughed out loud as he easily caught her wrists. He twisted her round and threw her towards Cassie. At the last second she dived sideways toward a chair next to her bed. She grabbed a knife from the clothes piled there and lunged at Cassie, brandishing the blade. Cassie caught her hand and forced it back, the knife hovering near her face. She bought her knee up and rammed it into Becca's gut causing the woman to fold in half, losing her grip on the weapon. Cassie kicked her legs out from under her and she fell face down. Coldly Cassie dropped down, one knee on the floor at the side of Becca the other in the small of her back, holding her in place. She gripped the struggling woman's hair, forcing her to keep her head still.

"You and your sick brother won't hurt anyone else" She told her as she rammed the knife into the back of Becca's neck, forcing the blade upwards, driving it deep into her brain.

She left the knife embedded and stood up, wiping Becca's blood from her hands. She turned to Merle, who was watching her, an impressed look on his face.

"You're tougher than you look" he told her "Glad you're on my side"

She strode past him.

"I think we're done here. It's time to go home"

Merle shook his head as he stubbed out his cigarette.

"Damn PMS" he muttered as he followed her outside.

When they arrived back at the prison they were meet by an annoyed Rick , a relieved Glenn and a furious Daryl.

"The hell you doin', asshole?" he yelled at his brother "Takin' her back there like that. You tryin to get her killed?" Merle just grinned at him, throwing his arm round Cassie's shoulder. He was back in full asshole mode.

"Why you so upset, little bro, you jealous ol' Merle got some alone time with that sweet little thing?" Daryl took a swing at Merle, who caught his hand before the blow could land and pushed him away.

"Don't you go raising your hand to me again or you're gonna regret it" he snarled, joking tone gone as the brothers glared at each other. Daryl turned away, then suddenly span round and landed a punch to Merle's jaw. Merle punched back and suddenly the two brothers were involved in a fist fight. Rick stepped in and tried to pull Merle off, while Glenn reluctantly tried to hold Daryl back. Both men pulled free easily. Before the fight could start up again Cassie slipped between them, holding them apart.

"Stop acting like kids in the playground" she shouted "You're brothers for God's sake, meant to be there for each other" Both lowered their fists and stepped back. Merle flashed her a grin

"Have to say, girl, you got bigger balls than most of the men here" he laughed. "Aint many that'd step in the middle of a Dixon fight. Lucky I like you and don't wanna see you hurt." He turned away from everybody and sauntered from the cell block.

Daryl glared after him, then stepped back from Cassie. He stared at her for a few seconds then stalked away from her, heading outside.

"Are you okay?" Carol hurried over to her, concern all over her face. She noticed Cassie's hands, saw her bloodied knuckles and gasped.

"How did you do that?" she asked grabbing her hands.

"I met up with the woman that hurt us. She won't hurt anyone now" she said coldly, trying to pull her hands away. Carol gripped them tighter, pulling her to a chair.

"I'm not going to ask anymore but let me clean those cuts up, you don't want to risk an infection"

Cassie let her patch up her hands, cleaning them and bandaging them then set off to look for Daryl.

She found him on one of the walkways outside. He was staring through the wire, eyes searching the nearby tree line. He didn't turn when she approached him.

"What was all that about?" she asked, referring to the fight, He shrugged, still not looking at her.

"Don't just shrug your shoulders at me, what's going on?" She snapped and he finally turned to face her.

"Merle's an ass. He does crazy things all the time, expect that from him." he looked at the ground "Just thought you was smarter than that. Two of you goin' there on yer own was dumb"

She frowned at him "We were careful. Merle checked it out before we went in and we were quiet. I wouldn't have done it if it wasn't safe. Merle looked after me, he made sure I was okay" She stepped closer to him. "I had to do it, I couldn't let them get away with what they did to us… to you. What they would do to anyone else they got their hands on"

He glanced up at her briefly, before looking out to the trees again.

"Didn't get you out of that place so you could go running straight back" he mumbled.

"I can take care of myself" she told him "Why are you so bothered if I'm safe or not?"

"Don't wanna see you get hurt" he confessed quietly. She smiled slightly and moved even closer, reaching a hand out to his shoulder.

"It's nice you worry, but you don't need to. I've looked after myself for a long time" she ran her thumb along his jaw. He turned and faced her fully.

"Maybe I wanna worry 'bout you" Hesitantly he reached up and touched her cheek, his fingers moving to the back of her neck. When she didn't pull away he pulled her closer and her other hand slipped round him, sliding up his back to his neck, her fingers tangling in his hair. As they moved closer the door crashed open and an amused voice yelled out.

"Bout time you worked out what yer balls were for". They jumped apart and Cassie turned quickly, slipping past Merle, back into the prison. She heard Daryl's cursing and Merle's mocking laughter as the door closed behind her.

None of them realised that Merle wasn't the only one to see the near kiss.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer :- I don't own anything except Cassie and as usual I am playing with the timelines and plot of the show.**

**Thanks for the Guest reviews, really appreciate you taking the time.**

Chapter 8

Cassie was waiting anxiously with Maggie, Glenn and the others. Rick, Daryl and Herschel had gone to a meeting with the Governor, a madman who had already attacked the prison once. Merle had been part of the Governors' team until he had taken Maggie and Glenn, beating Glenn badly and giving Maggie to the Governor. They had been rescued just in time but Daryl had been captured and the Governor had pitted him and Merle against each other in an arena in his town of Woodbury, forcing them into a fight to the death situation. It was only the timely arrival of Rick and Maggie that had prevented it from becoming far more serious. At first Merle wasn't welcome at the prison but people were now starting to accept his presence even if they didn't like him.

Now he was sitting with Michonne and Carol, telling them how he should go and kill the Governor. He said it would be easy as they knew exactly where he was and he wouldn't have as many guards around him. Eventually he was talked down when he realised that Daryl could be caught in the cross fire of any attack.

Finally the three men returned, stern faced and quiet. Once everyone was gathered together Rick told them the Governor wanted the prison and was prepared to take it by force. The only choices they had were to run while they still could or prepare to fight. Nobody wanted to leave; they had worked too hard to make it theirs. They decided to stay and fight.

"We need to prepare, we're going to war" Rick stated grimly.

Later Cassie found Daryl tinkering with his motorbike. His face was drawn and she could see he wasn't happy about something.

"What's wrong?" she asked, startling him. He'd been so deep in thought he hadn't heard her approach.

He shrugged, not facing her "Rick had to make a decision that's not right but we aint got a choice" he told her, but would say no more. She left him absently cleaning the bike's engine and went to help Carol in the kitchen. When they all gathered for the evening meal she noticed that Merle was quieter than usual and kept shooting glances at Michonne.

The next morning she woke early and couldn't get back to sleep so she slipped out of bed and dressed before going outside. Movement caught her eye and she saw Merle leading a bound Michonne through a gap in the fence. He was holding her katana and pulling her along with a long length of wire. Cassie waited until they were out of sight then slipped through the fence, following them at a distance. She followed until they stopped at a roadside bar. Merle tied the wire holding Michonne around a post and opened the door on a car parked on the road. He started to hotwire it but accidently set the alarm off. Several walkers started heading towards the loud noise.

Michonne yelled for him as a walker approached her, when he didn't hear she managed to wrap the wire holding her around its neck and pull it back against the post, decapitating it. She turned to see another reaching for her but could do nothing about it. Its grasping hands had almost reached her when it dropped to the ground. Cassie was behind it, her knife in her hands. Michonne nodded her thanks.

"The hell you doin' here girl?" Merle bellowed as he finally stepped away from the car, seeing her and the downed walkers. "You tryin' to get my brother to kill me?"

"You're taking her to this Governor aren't you?" Cassie demanded. Merle didn't answer, his expression said it all.

"You can't just hand her over, even you know how wrong that is" Cassie had heard enough about the Governor to know what sort of man he was and what would happen to Michonne if he got his hands on her.

"He says he'll leave the prison alone if we hand her over. I gotta keep my brother safe. He's dumb enough to get himself killed trying to help Sheriff Rick and the other assholes there." Merle squirmed under her accusing glare.

"You really believe that?" Michonne stated calmly. "He'll kill you once he's got me, then when he's finished with me he'll go after the prison. He won't just walk away until everyone's dead."

Merle untied the wire and pulled her towards the car. He turned to Cassie.

"Can't leave you out here alone, you better get in the damn car and hide out while I sort this. It all goes to shit you get the hell out of there. Warn them at the prison." He snarled at her.

Cassie slid into the back of the car and they set off to the arranged meeting place.

"Does Rick now about this?" Cassie asked. Merle let out a laugh.

"That pussy?" He snorted "He was all for it to start with, then backed out. I figured it was worth doin' anyway" They drove in silence for a while. Merle deep in thought.

He suddenly slammed the brakes on and bought the car to a halt. He pulled Michonne's hands free.

"Get out" he told her "Gonna sort this my way" Wordlessly she opened the door and slid from the seat. As he handed her back her katana he turned to Cassie.

"You get out too, go back with her. Take care of my baby Bro." he gave her a sly grin "He likes you, I can tell 'cos he gets real pissed off when I talk 'bout you."

She shook her head.

"I'm coming with you" she informed him "Someone's got to watch your back"

He protested and argued then finally gave up.

"Damn stubborn bitch" he muttered as he pulled away "You just do as I damn well say and keep out the way"

They headed off leaving Michonne jogging back to the prison.

Merle stopped the car outside a diner and put a CD in the radio. He turned the volume up loud as he faced Cassie.

"You sure you ready for this girl?" he asked her "Could get messy" He looked her over again suddenly realising something.

"You even got a weapon on you?" He asked in disbelief. She gave him a rueful smile.

"Only my knife, I wasn't expecting to leave the prison" she confessed "there wasn't time to go back and get one"

He shook his head and swore before pulling a handgun from his waistband and handing it to her.

"Take this just in case it all goes to hell. I aint lettin' you get too close to all this shit but you need to be able to defend yourself" She took the gun and checked it had a full clip before tucking it into her jeans.

By now several walkers were clawing at the car, drawn by the sound of the music. Once Merle thought there were enough he moved the car several yards down the road before stopping and waiting for them to catch up. He did this until they were almost at the grain store then accelerated, giving them a few seconds of space. He told Cassie to jump and hide in one of the sheds. Once she was safe he steered the car towards the centre of the buildings and silos. He rolled from the vehicle and ran into a store room. Once inside he went to the window and aimed his rifle. It wasn't long before the sound of the music caught the attention of the Governor's men. They hurried to investigate; several were taken by surprise and attacked by walkers. Merle fired through the window and took out a few more of the men. Suddenly a walker lunged at him and they both crashed through the door. At once he was grabbed by the Governor's men.

Cassie saw him seized and drew her gun before leaving the shed. She crept closer and saw him being dragged in front of a tall man in a long black coat. She saw he was wearing an eye patch and knew this was the Governor. She saw him lay into Merle, several hard punches to the stomach and face. Merle swung back and the Governor sank his teeth into Merle's hand, severing several fingers and spitting them to the floor. He stepped back and aimed his gun, staring coldly at the bleeding man in front of him. Merle raised his head and spat at the Governor.

"I aint begging for nothin'" he snarled.

Before Cassie could get a clear shot the Governor smiled coldly and shot Merle point blank in the stomach.

"I know you won't "he smiled.

Cassie moved closer and took aim. As her finger tightened on the trigger the Governor sensed movement and jumped to one side. The shot went wide and before she could fire again two of the other men grabbed her, snatching the gun from her grip. They dragged her to the Governor. He studied her for a few minutes before speaking.

"You're a new face. What's your name?" When she didn't reply he gripped her chin and forced her head up to look at him.

"I asked you what your name was" he demanded. One of his men stepped forward.

"I don't know her name, but I saw her at the prison. She was with Merle's brother" he smirked "if you know what I mean" The others chuckled but the Governor just stared at her harder.

"Are you sure, Martinez?" he asked "Because that might make her very useful indeed" he questioned the man. Martinez moved closer, peering at Cassie before nodding.

"Yeah I'm sure of it. It was her" he confirmed.

The look the Governor gave her sent a chill down Cassie's spine. She realised she was in big trouble.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 9

Michonne was almost back at the prison when she saw Daryl heading toward her at a run.

"Where's Merle?" He demanded.

"Gone to the grain store to kill the Governor" she explained "He changed his mind about handing me over"

Daryl nodded "Knew he wasn't all bad" He made to carry on but Michonne stopped him.

"Cassie's with him" she said quietly. Daryl stopped.

"How the hell she end up goin' with him? She wouldn't go along with giving you up" he was angry.

"She saw him take me and followed, planned to talk him out of it. When he set me free she wouldn't let him go alone. I had to leave so I could get help." He could see she felt guilty about leaving but knew she made the right decision.

"Go back, get Rick and the others. I'll carry on see what I can do" He turned and headed up the road.

"Daryl" Michonne called after him "We'll be there as soon as possible. Stay safe"

He gave her a small, tired grin.

"I always do"

He saw the grain store in the distance and slowed, taking the time to arm his crossbow. Cautiously he approached, keeping an eye open for any threat, dead or alive. There were several walkers feeding on bodies on the ground. He slipped past them unseen. In a clearing in the middle of the buildings he saw a walker bent over the body of a young man. Something made him look twice; there was something familiar about this one. He moved closer and noticed the missing hand. He took a step back, not wanting to believe what he saw. The walker raised its head, blood and intestine running down its chin. With a cry of distress and horror Daryl staggered back as he looked into Merles glazed, milky eyes. The walker lumbered towards him, seeing nothing more than a fresh meal. Daryl pushed it away from him and it lurched forward again. He pushed it back once more and it fell to the ground. Choking back sobs Daryl fell on the creature that was once his brother and stabbed it repeatedly in the head. Finally he fell back, collapsing onto the ground, his arm across his eyes as he grieved. He didn't hear the approaching footsteps until it was too late.

Cassie had fought as hard as she could but Martinez and one of the other men had managed to bind her hands behind her. They had stuffed a rag in her mouth and tied it behind her head.

"Can't have you warning anyone we're here" Martinez had told her apologetically has he'd pulled the rag tight. She was then shoved into a chair and held there at gunpoint. She had no idea where the Governor and the rest of his men had gone until the door opened and the one eyed man strode in, a smile on his face.

"Got something for you" he told her happily as Daryl was dragged in, held by three of his men. He was struggling wildly and she could see he'd been hit several times. When his eyes met hers she could see they were red rimmed and she knew he'd found Merle. She tried to rise but the man guarding her pushed her back into the chair.

"Just stay where you are, if you know what's best" he snarled at her. Daryl lunged forward, ripping his arms free from the men restraining him. He punched one in the gut, making him fall to the ground, wheezing. His fist meet the nose of a second and there was a satisfying crack as the man staggered back, clutching his face.

With an impatient sign the Governor reached out and grabbed Cassie, tugging her towards him. He forced her head back and pressed her own knife to her throat.

"Dixon, unless you want to see her bleed, give up now" he demanded. With a last, defiant punch Daryl straightened and held his hands out to the side in surrender. At once his arms were pulled behind him and bound. As soon as he was restrained several of the men laid into him, determined to get payback.

Cassie struggled as the Governor held onto her, gripping a handful of hair as he forced her to watch the beating. Eventually the Governor decided he'd seen enough.

"Take them to the truck. Let's get them back to Woodbury. We need to send a message to the prison, tell them we have two more of their people. Let's see what Rick does now" He shoved Cassie back to Martinez and headed to his car.

They were bundled into the back of a dirty pick up and taken back to Woodbury. The truck was driven in through a back entrance and parked behind several sheds and small warehouses. This was where the Governor did all the things he didn't want the townsfolk to know about.

They were dragged through a door and taken down several corridors. As they passed a group of men one of them held his hand out, stopping them.

"What's going on?" The Governor demanded as the man grabbed Cassie by the chin and forced her to look at him. She found herself staring at Michael, clearly not as dead as Merle had thought. She could see the bruises on his throat from Merle's grip.

"Well well" the man drawled "I never thought I'd see you again, you murdering bitch" He turned to the Governor

"This is the one who killed my sister" he explained. The Governor studied him carefully.

"I was going to ask for your assistance with these two. I have a need for your special talents." The Governor smiled at him. "It will make it so much better if you have personnel grudge as well"

They were shoved into a large room and Daryl was forced onto a chair. His arms and legs were duct taped to the frame so he was unable to move. At Michael's instruction Cassie was shoved face first against a wooden support post. Her arms were freed from the plastic ties but then pulled above her head and attached to ropes on the post. The gag was removed from her mouth. There was a small table next to the post, covered with a sheet and Michael walked over to it. He pulled the sheet off and revealed what was hidden beneath. Daryl started to struggle and curse and Cassie stared in horror at the familiar car battery and metal pole.

"Let's see if you last as long as he did" he nodded towards Daryl. "I'll think of something even better for you. I owe you for the lives of most of my men at that farm"

The door opened and a guard entered carrying two buckets of water. Michael ordered Cassie's shirt cut from her, leaving her in just a tank top and water was thrown over her, soaking her from head to foot.

Michael soaked the bundle of rags on the end of the pole and attached the wires to the battery, careful not to touch anything other than the rubber handle of the pole. He rammed it into Cassie's side and her back arched as the current flowed through her. She forced herself not to cry out as he did it a second and then a third time. Turning to Daryl, Michael laughed as he asked

"Does this bring back memories? You know just how much this hurts, don't you? Probably hurts her more, she's smaller and weaker than you. I bet she's in agony" He gave a little twirl and then dragged the pole down her back. This time she did scream in pain at the prolonged contact.

The Governor chuckled "I do like to see a man enjoying his work" He joked; a couple of his men laughed but most looked uncomfortable with what was going on. Interrogation was one thing but torture for fun was going too far.

Cassie tried to flinch away as he advanced on her again but the ropes holding her gave her no slack. He jammed it into her side and laughed as she screamed out again. Her breathing was harsh and raspy and her legs were shaking as they tried to support her. Her head sagged and she was barely holding on to consciousness.

As Michael was about to jab her again the door opened and a short man in glasses timidly entered.

"Um… Philip" He started, obviously not happy to be in the room. His eyes saw Cassie and he dropped them to the floor, unable to look.

"What is it Milton?" the Governor asked "We're kinda busy here"

Nervously Milton continued. "We need all the men at the wall, there's a build-up of biters for some reason and the people are getting nervous. You need to come and talk to them"

The Governor sighed "The pressures of being in charge" He commented. He ordered all his men and Michael to the wall. Before he left he leant close to Daryl

"I haven't forgotten about you." he whispered "When I come back you are going to regret ever meeting me"

"Do already, murdering bastard" Daryl spat at him. The Governor just laughed as he left the room, slamming the door behind him, leaving the two of them alone.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N Thanks to my lovely guest reviewer and the new follows and favourites.**

**Hope you are still enjoying this story.**

Chapter 9

"Cassie" Daryl called her name through parched lips "How you doin'?"

"I've had better days" he could hardly hear her voice. She tried to stand straighter and managed to turn her head, glancing at him over her shoulder.

"How about you?" She hesitated "I'm sorry about Merle. He was trying to do the right thing just in the wrong way."

"He'd turned, came at me I had to put him down" Daryl told her quietly. "When we get out of here I'm gonna enjoy feeding that Bastard to the walkers"

"I'll help you if we can do the same for Michael" She stopped speaking as the door opened. Milton slipped into the room and headed for Daryl, a knife in his hand.

"I'm going to cut you free and help you get out of here" he told them as he sawed through the ties and tape holding Daryl.

"Aint you his aide, why you helpin' us?" Daryl was suspicious, expecting some kind of trap.

"Because he's losing his mind and I can't just sit by and let this sort of thing happen anymore." Milton freed Daryl and handed him the knife.

"You're taller than me, you cut her down and I'll catch her" he told the hunter. Milton supported Cassie as Daryl cut the ropes. Both men took her weight as her legs buckled. They sat her on the chair for a few minutes to regain her strength.

"I'm sorry but we need to move now" Milton told her apologetically "I don't know how long he'll be at the wall. I think he really wants to come back and finish the job with you two." Daryl supported Cassie with his arm around her waist and they made their way through the door and into the corridor beyond. He held the knife in front of him as they edged their way around a corner. They had only gone a few steps when the Governor appeared, Michael at his side.

"It seems you can't trust anyone nowadays" He said sadly as he looked at a now terrified Milton.

"We've been friends for years and now you betray me." He sounded genuinely upset at his friend's disloyalty.

Milton faced him "You've changed. When we started Woodbury it was for everyone's benefit, a safe place for all. Now you've gone power hungry. This thing with the prison, it's gone too far. For God's sake now you're torturing women" Milton sounded close to tears.

Ignoring him the Governor turned to Michael. "Take her and finish what you started" Michael started towards Cassie and Daryl threw the knife he was holding. It landed in the man's throat and he fell, a surprised look on his face as blood gushed onto the floor.

"That was unfortunate" The Governor looked at the gasping, dying man. "Now I'll have to do the dirty work myself" They heard the click of weapons being cocked and Daryl pushed Cassie behind him, trying to shield her.

"How touching" the Governor pulled the knife free from Michael's throat and nodded to his men. The three of them were forced at gun point back into the room they had just escaped from.

"On your knees!" he demanded at Daryl, who looked at him defiantly.

"You gonna kill me you're gonna have to look me in the face and do it like a man, not some pussy" He taunted. The Governor turned away from him.

"I'm not going to kill you" he stated, turning to Milton, "He is" Before anyone could move he stabbed the smaller man in the stomach. He plunged the knife in twice more and Milton sank to his knees, hands clutching his belly as blood poured between his fingers.

Martinez grabbed Cassie, pulling her from Daryl as two others tried to force him to his knees. Finally on of them used the butt of his gun, striking the back of Daryl's leg, causing it to buckle. They pinned his arms behind him and held him down. The Governor stood in front of Cassie and ran his finger down her cheek.

"So pretty" he commented "Almost seems a waste."

He ordered Martinez to take her to Daryl and make her kneel in front of him.

"I'm not a heartless man" He told them as one of Cassie's arms was forced around Daryl's neck, the other around his waist then tied together. Daryl's arms were placed the same around her and also bound tightly.

"I'm going to let you die in each other's arms, just because I'm an old romantic" He pointed to Milton's body. "When he turns the first thing he'll see is you two. I don't know if he'll want both of you or if just one will satisfy his hunger, but one or both of you will die at his hand" He smiled at them.

"Make the most of your last minutes" His men behind him he left the room.

Daryl could feel Cassie shaking against him. They were chest to chest again, their arms tangled together, with no way of wriggling free.

"How come we keep ending up like this?" She asked, trying not to sound scared. "I've spent more time pressed up against you than I did my last boyfriend"

"Yer boyfriend was a damn fool then" he told her, trying to get his arms in a more comfortable position. She managed a small smile up at him.

"Is that a compliment?" she asked. He was about to reply when they heard a light sound. Both heads turned toward Milton's body and they saw the tell-tale twitching of his arm. He was starting to reanimate. Cassie pressed her cheek against his chest.

"I'm sorry" she whispered "I shouldn't have come here with Merle. I thought I could help"

"Got nothin' to be sorry for" he snapped at her "You just wanted to help Merle, aint many people would've done that" They saw Milton's fingers curl into a fist. Cassie couldn't stop looking and couldn't hide how scared she was.

"Cassie!" He called her name, trying to get her attention "Cassie, look at me"

She lifted her head, staring up at him, eyes wide and shiny with unshed tears. He lowered his head and kissed her cheek gently, before pulling away.

"This aint the way I planned to go" he told her "And I'm real sorry you got dragged into it"

"It was my choice to follow Merle" she told him. "and I don't regret it, just wish it could have ended better" She adjusted her hand so her palm was flat against his neck and pulled him down again, resting her forehead against his. Over her shoulder he saw Milton's body sit up. It's head snapped round and it's now milky eyes settled on them. At once it stumbled to its feet and staggered towards them. Daryl held on to Cassie so she didn't see it approaching. He didn't know whether to try and shield her or not. If it killed him and satiated it's appetite then it may not bite Cassie, but that would leave her tied to his mangled body which would turn and attack her. He knew there was nothing he could do. They were still holding each other when Cassie's head was pulled back. The walker had grabbed her hair and it's other hand was reaching for her arm. She locked eyes with Daryl as its teeth moved closer to her shoulder. She could feel it's rancid breath on her face and braced herself, accepting death.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 10

There was a roaring noise and she felt something wet land on her face and shoulders. The walker fell back, it's hand still gripping her hair. She was pulled back with it and in turn pulled Daryl down as well. The three of them landed in a tangled heap, not knowing what was going on. Daryl was trying to get them up, hearing shouting and footsteps.

"Oh my God! Are you two okay?" a familiar voice yelled. Hands were cutting the rope binding Cassie and then he could feel searching hands trying to find the ropes binding him. Once they were free he rolled over and found himself looking up at Rick and Maggie. Rick was still holding his gun and Maggie was clutching the knife she had used to cut them free. The Milton walker was on the ground, the back of its head missing. Michonne was watching the door, katana in hand.

He met Ricks eye "Cut that a bit close, didn't yer?" he quipped. Rick grinned at him

"Just glad to see you both okay" He bent and untangled the walker from Cassie's hair before dragging it away. Daryl got to his feet and held out his hand to help Cassie up. She flashed a quick grin at him, as she wiped Milton's blood from her face.

Rick and Michonne took point and Maggie covered their backs. They slipped down the corridors and found their way outside. As they ran for the cars parked there, shots rang out, bullets biting into the ground near their feet.

"Fall back" Rick yelled, They stumbled back into the building.

"You may as well surrender, none of you are getting out of here alive" the Governor shouted from outside.

"Any ideas?" Rick whispered.

"We can try going through the town, like before. The Governor and his men are out the back. It's night, most people will be inside under curfew." Michonne suggested.

"Worth a try" Maggie agreed. Quickly they worked their way through the corridors until they came to the town itself. They stepped into the street and walked confidently toward the wall. The guards on the wall were looking outwards and weren't expecting an attack from behind. Leaving Maggie and Cassie tucked between two buildings Daryl, Michonne and Rick made short work of the guards using knives. Collecting the women they dropped over the wall and made their way into the forest. It wasn't long before they heard the shouts and screams and knew the bodies had been discovered. They pushed their way through the trees, heading to where Rick and the others had left the car. They could hear the shouts of their pursuers as they crashed through the woods behind them.

"We're coming for you, you won't get away" The Governor was taunting them. "We're going to hunt you down. I'm looking forward to getting my hands on you Michonne, my men just want the other two women. Rick and Daryl, you will eventually die knowing exactly what is happening to your women and knowing that you were too weak to stop it" He laughed manically as his men shouted and jeered, calling what they would like to do once they had the women.

"Sick sons of bitches" Daryl muttered. They headed deeper into the woods but they couldn't lose the men following them.

Daryl suddenly stopped them, listening with a keen hunter's ear.

"Bastards have got ahead of us as well. We're surrounded" he told the others quietly.

"Now what?" Michonne asked, "Fight our way through?"

"We're outnumbered, they'll just gun us down" Rick pointed out.

"I've got an idea" Cassie spoke up, swallowing nervously as all eyes turned to her.

The Governors men moved through the woods. They knew they were close to their prey.

"Looking forward to getting me some of those women. Tasty pieces both of them" one of them leered. His companion laughed and agreed. Suddenly they spotted something just ahead. They crept through the undergrowth and saw one of the women they'd been thinking about. She was leaning against a tree, clearly favouring one leg. One of the straps of her tight tank top had slipped down her shoulder and her hair was loose down her back. She looked small and defenceless.

She gave a small shriek when she saw them.

"What you doin' all on your own?" one of the men asked, eying her up and down.

"Please" she cried "Don't hurt me, don't take me back there. I hurt my knee and the others just left me." She lowered her eyes "I'll do anything you want if you don't take me back there" the men looked at each other and grinned.

"It would be nice not to have to share" one of them noted. They advanced on her. One reached out and put his hand on her shoulder, slipping the other strap down her arm. She raised her eyes and smiled at him.

The men smiled back thinking she was looking forward to what they had planned. Daryl and Michonne slipped silently from their hiding places. Quickly they used their knives to kill the men, catching the bodies and lowering them to the ground to minimise the noise.

Cassie adjusted the straps on her top, and flashed a grin at them.

"Glad you didn't wait any longer" she shuddered , as Maggie and Rick came out from where they had been hiding in the trees. They set off once more. Killing the two men had given them a reprieve from the men in front and they made good time. Soon the green of the car could be seen through the trees. Rick and Michonne went ahead to check it was clear. They waved the others over and they all piled in. Rick shoved the key in and turned it. Nothing happened.

He turned the key a second time, again nothing. Daryl jumped out and Rick hit the hood release. Daryl ripped the hood up and swore loudly. The engine had been trashed, pipes had been severed and wires torn out. The car was going nowhere.

"God damn bastard" Daryl muttered as he peered into the trees, looking for any sign of the Governor or his men.

"We'll have to carry on by foot" Rick opened the trunk and they collected all the spare ammo they could find.

They could hear movement from all around them, along with shouts and laughter. A burst of automatic rifle fire ripped through the trees, tearing into the ground and tree trunks close to them.

"You all still alive?" the Governor mocked as they moved deeper into the forest. There was a sudden explosion and they were all knocked to the ground. Ears ringing they staggered to their feet.

"Bastards have got grenades" Daryl helped Cassie up. Rick was looking around, checking everyone was okay.

"Where's Michonne?" he hissed

A quick search found no sign of the woman.

"She left us" Maggie whispered, eyes wide in shock.

"She wouldn't" Rick was unsure "Would she?"

"Don't matter now" Daryl was more concerned about their current situation "We need to find a way to save our own asses"

They were working their way through the woods in the general direction of the prison, hoping to catch a break but everything was against them. They heard groaning and shuffling feet just before the walkers came into view, drawn by the sound of the explosion and gunfire. They had no choice but to retreat towards the Governor's men.

More gunfire erupted by their feet, driving them back. They tried going to the side but bullets sprayed the ground forcing them back towards the walkers.

"Nowhere left to go. Throw down your weapons and surrender and we'll save you from the biters. My men still want the women but at least they'll get to live" The Governor sounded like he was enjoying himself as he called to them.

The four of them stood back to back, covering all directions, weapons raised. They could see flashes of movement as the Governor's men advanced on them.

A soft grunt caught Maggie's attention and her eyes widened as she saw Michonne lowering the body of the man she had just killed.

"Rick" Maggie hissed as Michonne indicated they should head towards her.

"You and Cassie go now" he ordered " We'll cover you" He and Daryl opened fire, shooting indiscriminately into the trees, hoping to cause enough of a distraction for the women to get clear.

Maggie and Cassie ran towards Michonne. As they reached where they had last seen her another explosion ripped the air.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 11

Rick and Daryl were knocked off their feet by the blast. Both lay stunned for a few seconds. Before they could recover hands were reaching for them, disarming them and binding their arms tightly.

"It seems my men won't be getting the women after all. They're not going to be happy about that. I wonder who they will be taking their frustrations out on" the Governor stood in front of them.

Daryl glanced to where the three women had been. The ground was blackened and some of the undergrowth was still burning. There was no sign of any of the women he considered his friends. He lunged at the Governor, crashing into him, knocking him to the ground. He managed to get a good solid kick to the man's gut before he was dragged back. A rifle butt in the stomach knocked the breath out of him and he doubled over, gasping for air. Another blow to his back bought him to his knees. He could hear Rick yelling as several blows rained down on him.

"Getting sick of having the crap kicked outta me" he thought as they were both forced to kneel, guns jabbed against their heads. The Governor smiled in satisfaction as he sent two of his men to find the women or their bodies.

Michonne let go of Cassie and the two women searched for Maggie. She had seen the Governor's man stand and throw the grenade and she'd managed to grab Cassie and pull her down behind a large tree, shielding them from the worst of the blast. She'd been unable to get to Maggie in time and had seen the younger woman thrown forward with the impact of the blast. They found her slumped in the undergrowth, her face pale and twisted in pain. She was clutching her thigh and breathing harshly. While Michonne stood over them, katana in hand as she kept watch, Cassie gently pulled Maggie's hand away from her injury. A large sliver of wood was embedded in her flesh. The explosion had ripped a large chunk from a tree and the debris had flown everywhere. Maggie had several smaller cuts from splinters and flying wood.

"Can't risk pulling it out" Cassie told the panting woman. "I need your shirt to patch it up" she explained.

With shaking hands Maggie unbuttoned her shirt and handed it to Cassie. Giving her a reassuring smile Cassie tore it into strips and started bandaging the wound. She wrapped several pieces of fabric around the wood to prevent it moving too much then used the rest to wrap Maggie's leg, trying to stop the flow of blood and keep it as clean as possible.

"They got Rick and Daryl" Michonne cursed "and we need to do something, there's two of them heading this way"

"We can't move Maggie, not yet" Cassie's mind raced as she tried to think of a way out of this mess.

Cautiously the two men approached the last place the three women had been seen. They weren't taking any chances; they'd seen what Michonne could do with that weapon of hers.

"Have you found anything yet?" The Governor demanded impatiently.

"Just seen something through the trees, almost there" one of them yelled back.

There was a short laugh.

"It's the bitch with the short hair. She's alive but got half a tree stuck in her leg" The man chuckled "Looks real painful"

"Any sign of the other two?" The Governor wasn't interested in Maggie, he wanted Michonne, and Cassie was only useful as something he could use to get to Daryl.

"Wait up, I can see somethin'" The man raised his gun as he approached the shape he'd seen. The other remained with Maggie.

"Looks like the other bitch, the one with long hair. She's on the ground and aint movin'. I'm gonna check her out"

He approached the motionless woman, lying face down, her hair and clothes covered in leaves and bits of debris. When he was close enough he nudged her body with his foot, when there was no reaction he kicked again, this time harder, again with no response.

"She aint movin', I think she's dead" he called out.

The governor laughed as he glanced at the two men held captive nearby.

"Drag the body out, we'll use it as a distraction from the biters. Bring the injured one as well. That should give us enough time to get back to the town."

Rick and Daryl exchanged looks from where they were kneeling side by side, hands on their heads as they were held at gun point. They knew how badass Michonne was and there had been no mention of her. They were both trying not to think about Cassie, neither wanted to believe she was dead but it didn't sound good. The more immediate concern was the injured Maggie and how they could help her.

There was no reply from the men in the forest and after a few minutes the Governor called again. When there was no reply again he made a decision.

"We'll take Rick back to Woodbury; I want to enjoy his company for as long as possible." His cold eye fell on Daryl.

"Much as I would like to carry on our 'discussions' we need a distraction" He ordered his men to tie Daryl to a nearby tree in full view of the walkers they could hear approaching.

"Make sure he's conscious, I want him aware of every second of it" he told them. Two men grabbed Rick and dragged him struggling to his feet. They followed the Governor as he headed back towards the town. Daryl fought as hard as he could, but with bound hands against three men with lose fists. He hurt from everything he'd already gone through at the hands of the Governor and his men but it still took a lot of effort for the three men to lash him to the lowest branches of a nearby tree. The first walker was just coming into sight as the men turned and ran after the departing Governor.

One of them stopped and watched, laughing as the first reached its decaying arms out, grasping at Daryl.

"I love me a bit of revenge?" he quipped, laying a hand on his ribs. He'd been one of those to restrain Daryl when they captured him after Merle's death.

Daryl kicked out and knocked the snarling walker back a few stumbling steps. Immediately it advanced again, a second close behind. Desperately he kicked again, hearing the man's laughter cut short.

The walker in front of him suddenly stopped reaching and fell, closely followed by the second. He saw Cassie, knife in hand, blood on her clothes, a smile on her face.

"This isn't the time to be hanging around" she joked as Michonne approached, wiping the man's blood off her katana. A quick flick of her wrist and he was free.

"Thought you two was dead" He commented as they headed back to Maggie. They had risked moving her and hidden her in a hollow between two trees, covered in moss and leaves and armed with a rifle. Fortunately the walkers had been focused on following the sounds of gunfire and explosions and hadn't found her.

Daryl carefully scooped her up, mindful of her injury. Even he flinched when he saw the wood embedded in her leg.

"Safest place for her is in the car, even if it don't work" he decided "We can leave her locked in and go after Rick"

Even though she was pissed the decision about her was being made without her input Maggie knew he was right.

With Michonne and Cassie keeping watch and taking care of any stray walkers they made their way back to the damaged car. Once Maggie was safely inside, hidden in the back seat and armed with a rifle the three of them set off at a jog, heading back to Woodbury.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N Final chapter, Thanks to all for reading, reviewing and favouriting. Hope you enjoy it.**

**Disclaimer - Sadly I own nothing except my original characters.**

Chapter 12

They stayed on the road, hoping to get ahead of the Governor. They knew if he got Rick back inside the town it would be almost impossible to get him out again.

They saw the walls of the town in the distance and left the road, hiding themselves in the trees. As they slipped deeper into the woods they heard the sounds of several people crashing through the undergrowth. Daryl couldn't resist exchanging a small grin with Michonne.

"Didn't know he knew words like that" he commented as Ricks curses could be heard echoing around them.

"Guess you're a bad influence" Michonne nudged his arm as they crept towards the voices. All levity disappeared as they saw the group making its way to the town. The Governor was in front, Martinez and Shumpert flanking him as he strode ahead of his men and they struggled to keep hold of a frantically fighting Rick. Five others were spread out behind them, watching out for any stray walkers. As they watched Rick dug his heels into the soft ground causing the men holding him to stumble. He managed to wrench one arm free and twisted round, kicking out at the second man holding him. Before he could run the Governor strode up to him and struck him in the side of the head with his rifle. Rick fell to the ground, stunned as the Governor glared at his men.

"Now perhaps you could control him and maybe we could get back inside the town" He said scathingly to the sheepish men, as they pulled the dazed deputy to his feet.

Feeling helpless Cassie watched as Daryl and Michonne made their way soundlessly through the woods. Like ghosts, using knife and katana, they silently dealt with two of the Governors men before melting back into the undergrowth.

"Where's Jack?" one of the others looked around, seeing they were a man down.

"Stu's missing too" another shot a panicked glance around. A second later they were both taken down. The remaining man backed away until he bumped in those restraining Rick, all of them searching the darkness among the trees with wild eyes.

With a curse the Governor raised his rifle and open fire, swinging the weapon round in a large arch and spraying the area with bullets, Martinez and Shumpert joining in.

Cassie watched in horror as the forest was torn apart by the onslaught of bullets. Using the rifle Daryl had given her she took several shots at the three men. She was used to just a simple hand gun and the large weapon felt strange and cumbersome in her hands. Her aim was off and she only managed to injure Martinez in the shoulder, causing him to give a cry of pain and drop his weapon. The other two swung round and fired in her direction. She threw herself face down and covered her head with her arms as the bullets hit the ground and trees around her. Suddenly there was silence. She lifted her head cautiously to see the Governor on the ground, a gunshot wound to the head. Rick was standing in front of him, a gun in his hands. Shumpert and Martinez dropped their guns and raised their hands. The remaining three men were kneeling, hands on their heads as Michonne stood over them with a gun taken from one of their dead colleagues. She could see no sign of Daryl and pulled herself to her feet quickly heading towards her friends. As she took a few steps forward a hand grabbed her arm.

She gave a small, panicked cry and tried to pull free.

"Easy Girl, s'just me" a familiar voice drawled close to her ear. "You okay, not hit?"

Cassie stared in relief as Daryl looked her over, checking for wounds.

"I thought they'd got you and Michonne. How did they miss?" she asked as they headed towards the others.

"We were up in the trees, not on the ground" He explained "You getting yer ass shot at gave us a distraction. We got them that was holding Rick and he got a gun and took out the asshole"

She glanced at the evil man's body as they passed it and resisted the childish urge to give it a good kick. Rick gave her a brief smile as she approached.

"You alright?" he asked "that was a well-timed distraction."

She returned the smile but before she could reply Daryl spoke up.

"It was dumb. I didn't know you was such a crap shot when I gave you that damn rifle"

"Seemed a good enough shot to me" Martinez muttered, glancing at his injured shoulder.

"Don't mean to interrupt the chatter but what we going to do with this lot?" Michonne indicated the surviving Woodbury men.

"And we need to get Maggie back to Herschel." She added.

Martinez exchanged a look with Shumpert, who seemed to understand what he was implying and nodded in agreement.

"We got a good Doc in town. She'll take care of your friend" He glanced at the Governor's body.

"Now he's gone things are gonna change at Woodbury. I never did get his problem with you lot" He glanced at Michonne.

"'Cept maybe you, you took his eye and killed his daughter, I can see why he wanted you."

Michonne gave him a cool look.

"You got a problem with me?" she asked, just a hint of menace in her voice.

Martinez laughed "Hell no. He was becoming an asshole and got what he deserved"

Rick and the others had a quick discussion and reached an agreement.

"We'll let you go if you get your Doctor to treat our friend. We'll leave you alone after that, but if we see any sign of you or your men near the prison we will come down on you hard. There will be no survivors." Rick lowered the gun he was pointing at the two men and Michonne stepped away from the three kneeling in front of her. They climbed to their feet with sighs of relief, edging away from her and her katana.

Martinez took charge, issuing instructions.

"We'll head back to Town and get a working vehicle then collect your friend, take her to Doc Stevens. If we can we'll get your car fixed up. We should have enough parts to repair it"

He glanced at Rick, not used to being the one in charge.

"What else do you need?" he asked hesitantly.

Daryl had kept quiet until now, not sure if he liked trusting the men that had until recently been trying to kill him and the others.

"I want my bow back" he demanded, adding as an afterthought "and my knife"

Cassie bit back a smile at his petulant tone.

"I guess we can do that. We can probably spare some other weapons and ammo if you need it"

The Hispanic man was trying hard to make up for the past; he clearly didn't want any more trouble for the town.

Rick nodded in appreciation at the offer. He knew they didn't really need any more weapons but if they had them it meant Woodbury didn't.

They walked the short distance to the town, staying ahead of the walkers that had started to appear. The men on the fence were on high alert, having heard the gun battle.

Martinez and Shumpert approached first.

"Its okay" he called "The governor's dead. He was a crazy son of a bitch and things are gonna change now. Let us in, we're all on the same side"

Reluctantly the gates were opened and the small group passed through. Several townsfolk were milling around in the street and looked scared to see the prison group and no sign of the Governor.

"What's going on, why are they here?" One of the women, Karen, demanded.

Martinez held up a hand, telling her to wait. He organised a vehicle and driver and Michonne headed off to collect Maggie.

Rick, Daryl and Cassie stood to one side, watching carefully, alert for any problem as Martinez explained what had happened. There were murmurs of concern and several hostile glances aimed at the newcomers.

The car with Maggie and Michonne returned and the injured woman was carefully unloaded and taken to the medical room. Several people paled when they saw the wood impaled in the semi -conscious woman's leg.

"He caused that" Martinez indicated Maggie "and he killed Milton, just so he would turn and kill these two" he nodded towards Cassie and Daryl.

"And he murdered Merle" he finished, listing everything wrong the Governor had done.

"How do we know we can trust them?" Karen asked, glaring at Rick and the others.

"We don't, any more than they know if they can trust us. We decided that once their friend is fixed up both groups will go their separate ways and have nothing to do with each other." Martinez tried to reassure them.

Rick stepped forward.

"We never wanted to hurt you or attack your town. We only came to rescue our friends that were taken by the Governor. He was torturing them and going to execute them."

The town's people were nervous about trusting the group that had attacked them but they trusted Martinez so they backed down. Shumpert handed Daryl his knife and crossbow, causing the hunter to smile briefly. Cassie noticed several of the younger women eying both Rick and Daryl. Good looking, available men were in short supply and none of them wanted to miss the chance to get to know one when the opportunity arose.

Glancing up Daryl noticed the looks and swallowed nervously. He backed up until he was behind Cassie, using her as a shield from the appreciative glances. Taking pity on him Cassie linked her arm in his and leant onto his side, resting her head on his shoulder. She found herself on the receiving end of several hostile glares.

"The hell you doin'?" Daryl demanded, looking at her in confusion.

"Saving you from the rampant women of Woodbury" she laughed "unless you don't want me to"

As realisation dawned he gave her a relived look. Slipping an arm loosely around her waist he leant in closer.

"It was a hell of a first date and the second sucked" he muttered quietly so no one else could hear.

"You wanna see if the third's any better?"

He took her beaming smile as a yes.

**A/N That's it. Sorry it's a sucky ending, I kinda lost my way a bit with this one. Hopefully the next efforts will be better. Sequels to Hotwire and Escape are planned, and maybe one for The Fence. Also if you could find a few minutes to read Meant to Stay in the House (only 1400 words) and let me know what you think I would really appreciate it.**

**Thanks for reading.**

**xxxxxx**


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